Have fun while traveling, ride a bike!

The Cities of LA County

There are myriad rules in LA County governing the where riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is legal and where it is not. The City of Los Angeles allows riding a bicycle on the sidewalk unless it is done “with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property”(LAMC 56.15). Other cities in LA County ban riding your bicycle on the sidewalk outright. Others still ban riding on the sidewalk only in places designated as “business districts”. These districts can sometimes be defined as an area contained by certain streets or they can be defined by the California Vehicle Code 240, which defines almost any building as being eligible for a “business district” that is not a single family home.

Sidewalk riding in the City of L.A. - allowed as long as you ride safely and yield to pedestrians

[…] Now, Los Angeles county is comprised of many cities that sprawl out over 4,057 miles (that’s quite a sprawl!) and each city seems to have their own set of rules about sidewalk bike riding. Based on Los Angeles’ Department of Transportation Bike Blog the most well known cities that allow sidewalk riding are (for a full list of cities – which unfortunately the map above does not mark!-, see the LADOT blog): […]

[…] Now, Los Angeles county is comprised of many cities that sprawl out over 4,057 miles (that’s quite a sprawl!) and each city seems to have their own set of rules about sidewalk bike riding. Based on Los Angeles’ Department of Transportation Bike Blog the most well known cities that allow sidewalk riding are (for a full list of cities – which unfortunately the map above does not mark!-, see the LADOT blog): […]

Okay, considering this article says riding a bicycle on the sidewalk is legal in the City of Los Angeles, I have this question. I was driving my car in the right lane of a major street, and planning to turn right onto a side street at an upcoming corner. I observed a bicyclist on the sidewalk to my right approaching the same corner. Who has the right-of-way in that situation? Does the bicyclist have the same right-of-way as would be the case if he/she was actually on the street? This bicyclist, whom I made sure I was not going to hit when turning right, was pretty upset about having to hit the breaks. He wanted to take advantage of the curb ramps intended for people in wheelchairs, and zip straight across the side street.

Are you asking about riding on the sidewalk or on the street? Also, are you asking about the City of Los Angeles or elsewhere? Without further detail we can only attempt to provide a general answer to you:

When riding on the street and a lane is too narrow for a bicyclist and motorist to share, a bicyclist may legally use the full lane. Bicyclists may ride further from the edge to avoid debris, parked cars (bicyclists should be safely out of the “door zone” so that if a driver opens the door doesn’t get hit or is forced to swerve to the left), or other hazards. Also, in California it is the law that drivers must pass with at least three feet when overtaking a bicyclist. As a result, unless a travel lane is very wide, bicyclists may use the full lane. Most lanes in the City of Los Angeles are between 10 and 11 feet wide and bicyclists may use the full lane. Although California Law does not explicitly state whether bicyclists can ride side by side, if they are legally taking the full lane this should not be an issue unless they are traveling on a street with only one lane. If a street has only one lane bicyclists may still use the full lane but must move aside if five or more cars have piled up behind them.

The sidewalk law varies from municipality but in Los Angeles you can ride on the sidewalk as long as you are respectful of pedestrians and riding safely. As long as bicyclists are doing this, it is ok (but might be difficult in a lot of areas) to ride side-by-side.

I’m curious about the legality of riding against traffic on a one-way street which has no sidewalks. Pedestrians are allowed to walk the wrong way on a street without sidewalks..does this apply to cyclists? According to the code, “No pedestrian may walk upon any roadway outside of a business or residence district otherwise than close to his or her left-hand edge of the roadway”

I’m asking because in Venice there are some one way roads that are fare more safer to ride on than nearby busy streets…

[…] prefer to bike, find out what you can about bike laws. In Los Angeles, keep an eye out for where you can ride your bike on the sidewalk versus the road (drivers are insane here, so I’d be nervous on the road). Look for bike lanes […]

Thus afternoon I stepped out of a business onto the sidewalk on the block of 1520 N Cahueniga and was nearly run over by a bicyclist on the sidewalk who said as he passed that I should look where I’m going. Absolutely outrageous – and dangerous – that I should expect to be run over as a pedestrian in a sidewalk. Please post signs and educate!!!!!